It was a bad year. The rains had failed for the third year consecutively. Families were dying all across the region.
The first year, savings, from the previous years, had been used and the farmers had hoped for a better next year. The second year, loans had been taken from different sources and that had helped survive the year. But this year, there were no savings and no one was ready to offer loans, and in fact the moneylenders were determined to get back whatever they could get out of the poor farmers. For it was evident that very few would be able to survive the year. Tired of this life, many, along with their families, had committed suicide.
But, in this village there lived a family of a farmer, his wife and two young sons. They were hit hard by the unrelenting weather, yet they had not given up. Every year, they had tilled their fields, done their best to water them, and year after year they had seen their crop wither away in the scorching sun. This year was the worst and the two loved bulls of the house that had served them faithfully, over the years, had died of hunger. There was no way that their land would be tilled this year.
But on this night as every one sat quietly on the kitchen floor, without food, there was one thought that overrode all else. The thought of Death.
Till the elder son said, “ Father, Death will come when it will. As long as we have breath in us, we will not give up.”
The father was pleased to see the fighting spirit in his son and his eyes shined for a moment, before lapsing into gloom again.
“What can be done? We have tried our best.”
“ Have we?” said the son, “ Tomorrow me and my little brother, here, will be your bulls to till our land and the land will be tilled.”
What will happen next is not something that will be said here because then, it will become another story, and that it is not. It is a real story of the grit and determination of a family to survive against all odds and with an effort like theirs even the Gods cant be left unmoved.
Things can always get worse than what they are and they can get better. It is how determined we are to get through the dark night, because no matter how long or dark the night is, there is always a morning at the end of it. One only has to hold up long enough.
The first year, savings, from the previous years, had been used and the farmers had hoped for a better next year. The second year, loans had been taken from different sources and that had helped survive the year. But this year, there were no savings and no one was ready to offer loans, and in fact the moneylenders were determined to get back whatever they could get out of the poor farmers. For it was evident that very few would be able to survive the year. Tired of this life, many, along with their families, had committed suicide.
But, in this village there lived a family of a farmer, his wife and two young sons. They were hit hard by the unrelenting weather, yet they had not given up. Every year, they had tilled their fields, done their best to water them, and year after year they had seen their crop wither away in the scorching sun. This year was the worst and the two loved bulls of the house that had served them faithfully, over the years, had died of hunger. There was no way that their land would be tilled this year.
But on this night as every one sat quietly on the kitchen floor, without food, there was one thought that overrode all else. The thought of Death.
Till the elder son said, “ Father, Death will come when it will. As long as we have breath in us, we will not give up.”
The father was pleased to see the fighting spirit in his son and his eyes shined for a moment, before lapsing into gloom again.
“What can be done? We have tried our best.”
“ Have we?” said the son, “ Tomorrow me and my little brother, here, will be your bulls to till our land and the land will be tilled.”
What will happen next is not something that will be said here because then, it will become another story, and that it is not. It is a real story of the grit and determination of a family to survive against all odds and with an effort like theirs even the Gods cant be left unmoved.
Things can always get worse than what they are and they can get better. It is how determined we are to get through the dark night, because no matter how long or dark the night is, there is always a morning at the end of it. One only has to hold up long enough.
4 comments:
You have either suffered much pain and triumphed or are a great storyteller, or both.
We must never give up or give in, for then we have defeated ourselves.
Do you know about permaculture?
see http://www.permaculture.org and
http://www.permaculture.org.au
and http://www.geocities.com/r_ayana/FreeLife.html
Keep us the Great Work!
@ cybercelt: True, one should never give up.
theres always a tomoro...
but then the question would be whether we embrace it or shun it eh? ;)
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